Skip to main content

Volvo launches ElectriCity bus project in Sweden

Buses that glide noiselessly without emissions, that pick up passengers indoors and which are powered by a renewable source of electricity – this will become a reality in 2015, if a new initiative in the Swedish city of Gothenburg is successful. Behind the initiative, known as ElectriCity, is the Volvo Group, in cooperation with the Swedish Energy Agency, the City of Gothenburg, Västtrafik, Lindholmen Science Park and Johanneberg Science Park. The aim is to make buses powered entirely by electricity from r
June 18, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Buses that glide noiselessly without emissions, that pick up passengers indoors and which are powered by a renewable source of electricity – this will become a reality in 2015, if a new initiative in the Swedish city of Gothenburg is successful.

Behind the initiative, known as ElectriCity, is the 609 Volvo Group, in cooperation with the Swedish Energy Agency, the City of Gothenburg, Västtrafik, Lindholmen Science Park and Johanneberg Science Park.  The aim is to make buses powered entirely by electricity from renewable sources part of the Gothenburg’s public-transport system. The buses will be fuel-efficient, silent and completely emissions-free. At least one of the bus stops will be located indoors.

“This represents an entirely new mode of travel and will allow for the public-transport system to contribute to a more pleasant urban environment. A silent and emissions-free public-transport system will enable the inclusion of locations in the city that are currently off limits. It is immensely satisfying to be able to launch this in our hometown, in cooperation with Region Västra Götaland and the City of Gothenburg,” commented Olof Persson, president and CEO of Volvo.

Commencing in 2015, the electric buses are to run between Johanneberg Science Park adjacent to Chalmers and Lindholmen Science Park in Hisingen.

“The electric bus service entails a new mode of public-transport system usage, which is highly positive for Gothenburg. It will highlight Gothenburg as a progressive city in terms of city planning. This is also in line with our prioritised objective of having Gothenburg reduce its climate impact to become a climate-neutral city, and of increasing sustainable travel,” explains Anneli Hulthén, chairman of the Municipal Board.

The initiative also includes the creation and trial runs of new bus-stop solutions, traffic-routing systems, safety concepts, energy supply and business models.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Need for simpler urban tolling solutions
    January 10, 2013
    A common assumption, even amongst informed observers, is that there’s but a handful of urban charging schemes in operation around the world and scant prospect of that changing any time soon. Larger city-sized schemes such as Singapore, London and Stockholm come readily to mind but if we take a wider view and also consider urban access control and Low Emission Zones (LEZs) then the picture changes rather radically. There is a notable concentration of such schemes in Europe but worldwide the number is comfort
  • Successful Bio-DME field tests point to a cleaner transport system
    June 4, 2012
    Volvo Trucks has announced it is running successful field tests with vehicles powered by bio-DME, a fuel that can be produced cost- and energy-efficiently from biomass. Since last autumn, ten specially adapted Volvo trucks have been operating on Swedish roads using the fuel which reduces carbon emissions by 95 per cent compared with conventional diesel. The field tests have now reached the halfway point and the results so far have both met, and exceeded, expectations.
  • Scania upgrades public bus systems in Iran
    February 13, 2017
    Swedish bus manufacturer Scania is to supply the Iranian province of Isfahan with 1,350 buses for public transport for Isfahan and four other Iranian cities. The first of these new buses, which are intended to improve air quality in the cities, will be in operation at the end of 2017. Air pollution in Iranian cities has steadily increased in recent years; in cooperation with Iranian authorities, Scania has developed solutions that ensure that local emissions are kept to a minimum with the current fuel qu
  • ITS America focuses on the environment
    March 13, 2012
    ITS America's appointment of a Director of Environmental Affairs signals a major new focus